Aug 26, 2013

Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo has confirmed a while ago plans to bring to the market a new high-end device running under Google’s Android operating system, namely the Oppo N1, and leaked photos with the handset are now available for your viewing pleasure.

The upcoming smartphone should arrive on the market with a backside touch feature, which will provide users with the possibility to easily swipe through pages, control the camera, or perform various actions in applications, as Engadget reports. Rumor has it that the new Oppo N1 will become official sometime in September, featuring a large 5.5-inch 1080 touchscreen display, gizchina notes in a recent article.

The phone that can be seen in the newly leaked images appears to be identical with what Oppo has already shown on the handset, which suggests that said photos (available courtesy of weibo) are the real deal.

Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation has been long rumored to plan the launch of a Blue flavor of the HTC One smartphone, and the device has just made an appearance in China.

The smartphone is already available in Black, Silver, and Red, in addition to a Gold edition, and it seems that it won’t be too long before the Blue variant hits shelves too. The handset was spotted in China, with photos of it already available only courtesy of weibo, but is expected to be officially launched in the United States on the network of Verizon Wireless, as TechKiddy notes.

No specific info on the hardware specs of the new model has been provided, but chances are that the device will be similar in all respects to the already available flavors. Stay tuned for more on this.

Windows 8.1 has already reached the RTM development phase, according to some rumors, but Microsoft is trying really hard to prevent any ISO from getting leaked to the web.

A new set of pictures coming from Win8China reveals that the RTM version is indeed being tested right now by some partners across the world, but it’s not yet clear whether these screenshots have been made by an OEM or straight by regular users. Since such screenshots have already reached the web, it’s only natural to expect a new ISO to get leaked anytime soon, so we’re pretty sure that the stable flavor of Windows 8.1 would be here way before October through unofficial channels.

As you know, Microsoft plans to publicly launch Windows 8.1 on October 18, but Windows 8 users will be allowed to download it freely from the Store on October 17. Here are few screenshots, click for larger images.

Next week, Sony Mobile should make official a new Android-based smartphone in the popular Xperia lineup, and the company has published a new teaser image with the device today, via its Twitter account.

The phone emerged online before under the codename of Honami, though it is expected to land on shelves under the name of Xperia Z1. Last week, Sony published two other photos with the device, showing parts of it, while posting a shot of the handset’s camera today. The photo also unveils the fact that the upcoming mobile phone will land on the market with Sony's G lens technology inside, and with single-LED flash next to it.

With the official unveiling supposedly set for September 4, Sony might continue teasing the device in the coming days, so stay tuned to learn more on the matter.

Xperia Z1 is not the only new Android-based smartphone that mobile phone maker Sony Mobile is expected to make official in the not too distant future, as a smaller flavor of the handset is also rumored to be planned for launch.

Supposedly codenamed Itsuki, the phone has emerged online in a leaked photo that shows it next to a BlackBerry Q10, which offers a better idea of its size, as this forum thread on XDA-Developers unveils. The handset has already been spotted en route to Japan as Sony SO-02F, and is said to sport a compact design, smaller than that of iPhone 5, but to keep the powerful capabilities that Xperia Z1 Honami was rumored to include. Thus, the upcoming smartphone will feature a 4.3-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, as well as a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 processor inside, Ameblo notes. Furthermore, the phone is said to pack 2GB of RAM, along with 16GB of internal memory, a 2400mAh battery, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G LTE connectivity.

On top of that, rumor has it that the device could arrive on the market with a 20-megapixel photo snapper on the back, the same as Xperia Honami, as well as with a front camera for making video calls. Xperia Z1 mini Itsuki is said to be running under Google’s Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system at the moment, though Sony might bring it up to Android 4.3 in the not too distant future. For the time being, we’ll take the info above with a grain of salt, though it might not be too long before specifics on it become available. According to the latest reports on the matter, Sony might be set to make both the Xperia Z1 and the Xperia Z1 mini official on September 4, though previous rumors suggested that we won’t see the smaller device until the end of the year.

Mobile phone maker Motorola is getting ready for the launch of a new flavor of its Moto X smartphone, one labeled Developer Edition, which has already made an appearance on the vendor’s website.

The new phone model is not available for purchase as of now, but it should hit shelves soon, with 32GB of internal memory, and with an unlockable bootloader. Although it makes it easier for users to unlock the device, Motorola still warns all those interested in the matter that “Unlocking your Developer Edition's bootloader voids all warranties and may cause serious harm to your device.” Apparently, the upcoming device model will have a look of its own, and the available press photo shows a black frame on the front, coupled with a white back case.

There is also “Developer Edition” engraved on this phone’s back, as Droid-life notes. No specific price tag has been announced for the new device flavor, but it is expected to go for around $629 (€470), the same as Moto X on AT&T’s network at the moment. Those who would like to learn more on Moto X and the various personalization options available for them should head over to this page on Motorola’s website. Moto X was made official with a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen display, Motorola’s X8 Mobile Computing System inside, and 2GB of RAM. Motorola packed the device with a 10-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with full HD video recording and other appealing features, as well as with a front camera for making video calls while on the go.

Furthermore, the handset also sports 16GB of internal memory (though the Developer Edition will have twice that amount), 4G LTE connectivity, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11a/g/b/n/ac, Bluetooth, GPS receiver, and a 2200mAh battery capable of offering up to 13 hours of talk time. The smartphone is running under Google’s Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, with only a few modifications from the stock platform, but with exclusive applications coming from Motorola.

Japanese handset vendor Sony Mobile has been long rumored to plan the release of a successor for the Xperia Z smartphone in the beginning of September, and a press photo with the device is now available for your viewing pleasure.

Available courtesy of Digi-Wo, the leaked press photo confirms what previous rumors on the upcoming device have suggested, namely that it would land on shelves in three different color flavors, including Black, Purple, and White. As XperiaBlog notes, there’s no surprise in the fact that the supposedly called Sony Xperia Z1 (C690X) will be released in these three colors, given that Xperia Z and Xperia Z Ultra had a similar fate.

Codenamed Honami, Xperia Z1 is expected to feature a 5-inch full HD touchscreen, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor inside, 2GB of RAM, and a 20MP photo snapper on the back. More should be announced at IFA 2013 next week, so stay tuned to learn the news.